I'm still weaving the small tapestry for the non-juried ATA small format tapestry exhibit. The tapestry is due in March, and I have some travel coming up, so I hope to complete the 8x10" piece this week-end, or early next week, at the latest. Then I can take it with me on an upcoming train trip to do the finishing work.
I got the good news that one of my tapestries will be included in ATA's juried American Tapestry Biennial IX, as well.That is very encouraging, and has given me a real boost for my studio work. I am very fond of the ATB exhibits, as I kind of feel a personal attachment to the exhibit, having organized the first one, and a subsequent one, as well. So I always enter it, whether I think the work I submit will be accepted or not. I did not even think of the exhibit again, after entering this time, as my expectations were not real high. So having a piece accepted was a lovely surprise! This is the 9th ATB. I have entered them all. This will be my 4th time being in the exhibit, so you can do the math... more rejections than acceptances. That's how it goes when one person is choosing pieces for an exhibit. As organizer of a number of exhibits, including the 2 ATB's, I have seen some absolutely stunning tapestries rejected for reasons I could not understand, and I have been totally flabbergasted at some of the accepted works, which I felt should not have been included. So I have learned to not let rejection depress me (too much), nor to let acceptance swell my ego. Twice, I have had work rejected from one exhibit go on to win Best of Show in another one. Artists are supposed to develop thick skins, and I guess this is why. However, artists are notoriously (and necessarily) sensitive people, in my experience. So the jurying process is a strange way to treat us, really, isn't it?
At any rate, I do look forward to tapestry exhibits, both the non-juried small tapestry show I'm weaving the above piece for (one of my very favorite exhibits!), and the ATB9 exhibit, as well as all the exhibits I hope to see in California next summer at Convergence where I will be teaching. In my part of the country, I rarely get to see tapestries, other than my own. So I will immerse myself in the exhibits this coming summer.
The small tapestry is from a small painting I did long ago that I always felt like I wanted to weave. I am loving the small format, after working on the big loom. I DO love both my small Mirrix loom and my big Shannock loom, but it is good to move from one to the other occasionally. I keep thinking that this is so small, that it should weave a bit faster, though!
Back to weaving "Grace" (the name of the tapestry, though I'm not sure why. It just seemed right...)
3 comments:
First of all, congratulations! I think sometimes the juror(s) have a vision of what the show will look like and go from there.
I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Grace!
Congratulations, Kathy!
Congratulations from me too!
I have just been reading a blog entry by a lady who has juried a quilt based textile exhibition. She has put up statistics about what percentage of people did what types of techniques, responded to the theme, has themes within the theme, etc. It sounds as if she had quite a few entries that were acceptable but had to choose some for variety and the overall look of the exhibition. All very understandable but still disappointing when you miss out. I certainly wouldn't want to be the person deciding!
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